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The hard cup met my lips, cold liquid filling my mouth, swallowing the refreshing drink, it's substance sending chills down my body. I haven't had a good cup of cold water in awhile, it was usually in a bottle warm and gross, or dirty lake water.
I savor the precious liquid, taking my time instead of chugging it down. I was at a table, Carl and Maggie go went to talk. I look around the room, pretty paintings of landscapes hung up on the wall. The nice blue giving me a warm feeling. I look to my right to see a living room, white couches and brown pillows, followed by a nice beige carpet, a little glass coffee table on top. I flat screen TV laid above a small fireplace.
I cute candle chandelier hung above, it's lights not yet lit up. In front of me was a kitchen, almost the same structure as Carl's house, but now darker marble counter tops, along with an island. Wooden cabinets aligned the wall, its polished texture looked smooth to the touch. A silver fridge stayed more to the right, near a silver trash can.
Another chandelier hung from the middle of the room, its lights off like the other one. Wooden floors covered the bottom half of the house, my mind flooding with ideas of what the house looked like upstairs. Just wait for Maggie and Carl to come back, they might give me a house tour, considering I'm gonna be living here. My eyes scan the room, examining the place.
Don't get too comfortable, you may not trust these people, the same goes for them too. Are they really gonna let a stranger sleep in the same house as their family? Doesn't this seem a bit sketchy to you? I feel as if my mind was a different person, like it was someone else talking to me. It's called talking to yourself dumbass. Well, in your mind at least.
I slap myself on my forehead, rolling my eyes. What is wrong with me? My thoughts were soon interrupted, the sound of footsteps echoing through out the room, the sound coming towards me.
My eyes shifted to the people in front of me. Carl and Maggie stood in front of the table, their eyes on me. Well all right then. I awkwardly smile at them, the scene to uncomfortable for my taste. "So, uh, what's going to happen?" I awkwardly say, my eyes going back and forth from the table to back up at them. "I would like to get to know, Mia." Maggie say, sitting across from me.
"I don't want you to feel uncomfortable, it's just, having someone I don't know living in the house with me, I would like to know more about you." Carl stood behind Maggie, watching me in a calm matter. "Oh yeah, of course. I wouldn't want you guys to feel uncomfortable, if you don't want me to stay here, I won't. I can sleep in like, a basement or something." When Carl told me that I would sleeping in some persons house, I didn't think I would.
Did Michonne really tell him that? Did he say that to test me? I wouldn't want to take the chance, I think they are. I should probably just sleep somewhere else for now. Before Maggie could speak up, I beat her to it, my mouth rambling with words.
"I'll think it'll be best if I were to sleep somewhere else, I'm new here anyway. I don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable and I don't want to cause any problems." Maggie only nodded, slightly looking back at Carl.
***
The sun almost went down, different shades of colors flooding the skies. Pinks, purples and yellows littered the sky, my eyes in awe looking at the beautifully well mixed colors.
I shouldn't be so anti-social, I should make some friends. Friends. The word seemed foreign to me, for the past, what, years? I've been by myself, I never really met anyone on my path, I just kept moving.
I sat on the grass near the pond, everyone walking along the streets a last time before going inside. It's seemed so normal. Everyone was going on with their day like nothing happened. Like they don't know what's beyond these walls. Some of them seem weak. Except for Carls group, or how he explained them. The way he talked to me about his group showed he had so much care for them, but they seemed strong. Stronger than most of the people here.
My fingers traced along the grass, pulling some out and twirling it in between my fingers. I would knot the little stem of grass, doing it over and over until it was a ball of knots. I dropped it out of my hands, doing the same with another piece. I still have that option to go to Rons place. But I didn't move, my eyes were planted on the grass below. (No pun intended😉).
The sun was about to set, darkness approaching. Where do I go? I'm pretty sure I'll be sleeping on a floor again. It wasn't foreign to me, for I only had the comfort of my bag as a pillow. If I were lucky, I would approach a house. And if luck decided to be nice that day, a clean bed.
Something that didn't have a dead corpse, or dried blood. Something nice and clean, to rest for only one day and leave. I got up from grass, dusting the remains of dirt stuck to my jeans. I walked away from the pond, right back on to the road.
To my right I saw where Carls house was. I decided to go left, looking at the big beautiful pastel houses. It's getting dark. Maybe you should go find Michonne. I headed back the other way, my direction turning towards the house I was in before.
Before I knew it, I was in front of the familiar yellow door, my hand hesitant to knock. Just ask if Michonne is here. Or maybe even Carl. If not, head back. I knock on the door, the sound of hand against the door almost soft, as if you couldn't hear it.
But soon the door opened, a male figure before me. It was almost dark out, so at first I couldn't see, but then I took his appearances in. He had wavy brown hair, a blue button up shirt. He had a prickly beard showing. He had both hands at his hips, my feet moving awkwardly, tension growing. I, uh, I'm, I'm Mia." The stuttering got the best of me, my tongue not able to say the words they once were going to say. Just chill out, take deep breaths.
I put my hand out, slightly shaking in the process. I get nervous easily. The man extends his arm, his hand shaking with mine. "You must be the one Michonne was talking just about now. Mia, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, that's me." I nod my head, my body relaxing. "Michonne told me she asked you the questions. She said you were good." I only nod my head, a small smile growing on my lips. "Well follow me. I'll show you where you're sleeping." I nod, the man shutting the door behind him.
"I'm Rick, by the way." Carls father. This is the man. He's the leader. I follow right behind his steps, the sky growing darker each minute. We walked a long way down the road, taking a right, then a left, then a right.
We reached 5 long houses, about five windows each small apartment. We went to the first apartment, stairs leading down into the ground. Where the hell am I sleeping? Rick went first, grabbing keys from his pocket, opening the door in front of him.
I place my hand along the rail, balancing my feet down the brick steps. I walked into the room, total heat hitting my face. In front of me was a room, a lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. To the right was a small mattress and a pillow. A blue blanket along with it. I slowly walked in, the almost dark room giving me chills. There were no windows, and only one lightbulb, the light source very dim. I saw that my back pack was here, completely forgetting that I left it in the house.
"We had to, uh, take your weapons. They'll be in the armory. If you ever need them, there will be a women there. Her names Olivia." My weapons weren't with me. The one thing that kept me alive all alone out there, was no longer at my side. I felt naked.
Like a turtle without its shell. A tree without its leaves. Me without my dagger. I only nodded, turning towards Rick. "Thank you, for letting everyone take me in. I appreciate it." Rick nods, heading towards the door. "Get some sleep, Mia." He waves me off, before shutting the door behind him, locking it in its place.
I sigh heavily, looking around. Well so much for trying to escape. I sit down on the small mattress, taking my shoes off, along with my small jacket, my bare arms exposed. Damn, I really need to shower. I lay down, my head hitting the soft pillow, instead of my hard back pack.
The doors locked, there's no way you could get out. If only you knew how to pick a lock, that could be useful. I only shake away the thoughts, my body soon turning to its side, my eyes growing heavy. Before I knew, I was out like a rock.
***
My eyes darted open, my breathing heavy. My hands frantically looked for my dagger, unaware of where I was. I finally stopped, closing my eyes and controlling my breathing. I forgot that I was in a new community. Actually real people. My hands reach up to my face, wiping the sticky sweat from my forehead.
I run my hand through my brittle hair, finally my heart beating at a normal pace. I put my messy hair into a high ponytail, it's crispy surface almost crushing when touched. Small specks of dirt fall from my head into my hands, shaking them off.
I put my socks on, along with my sneakers. I get up from the bed, my body getting ready for the soreness. But once I got up, the familiar strain was gone. I always slept on the floor, so waking up to no strain was new. It would be rare if I found a bed.
I folded the blanket, placing it on top of the soft pillow. I walked around the room, killing time. Was it even morning yet? I wouldn't know that, for there were no windows. Should I leave today? Take your weapons and go. Maybe sneak sometime to get food.
Thoughts raced in my mind, my brain churning with suggestions and arguments. No, give this place a chance. A community with real people. You can't give that up. You won't walk up onto another one. This is your only chance. Don't throw it away.
I pace back and forth, biting my nails. You were doing fine before. I don't know why you're all of a sudden falling into these people's arms. You don't even know them. My head started to hurt, stress taking over me. My thoughts always got the best of me. As if it were another person.
Someone different. The sound of a key going into a lock averts my attention towards the door, my thoughts quiet. The door soon opened, to reveal the one and only Rick. "I see you're awake." He stood in the door, one hand on his holster, the other by his side.
"Yeah, I just woke up actually." The fresh air fills the dusty room, making me tempted to run out and breath it in. "Well good. I was gonna let you get something to eat. If ya' want, we have showers." Just the word shower made me smile like an idiot, my heart jumping with joy. They were going to let me shower.
"Really? You're gonna let me have a shower? You guys have that here. No wonder you look so clean." Words and words rambled out my mouth, Rick chuckling. "Yeah, I've decided to give you a room by yourself. If you want, you could come with." I nod my head fast, quickly grabbing my bag, following Rick up the stairs. The fresh air fills my lungs, my body free of the dirty dusty room. We walked down two apartments until I came up to the last one on the row.
Rick and I entered the room, a smile threatening to come upon my lips. "I'll leave you here to it. You could take a shower, and if you want, come by our house, talk about how things run here." I only nod, my eyes in awe from my surroundings. Before Rick could leave, I quickly turn towards his direction. "Thank you. Thank you for taking me. Giving me this, I, I don't know how to repay you back. This is something I didn't know I could have. Thank you."
Rick nods, "your welcome." With that, I was left in the apartment by myself. I look around, a smile finally plastered. Lets check this out. I was met with a living room to my right, small but cozy. A grey couch occupied with darker grey and white pillows on each end. A light grey carpet layer beneath, with a glass coffee table.
A mirror hung above the couch, staring at my reflection. My eyes averted to the bookshelves in the room, stacked with books of different kinds. My fingers ran along them, a little but of dust catching them. Two windows let a peak of sunshine through, the shades covering the rest. I walked straight, right towards the kitchen. White walls were painted, with dark spruce wood as the cabinet and counters. The counter tops were a white marble.
A small sink lay right in the middle, a stove couple of counters down. A fridge which was shiny silver, an ice machine in it. Kitchen utensils were inside the cabinets, but also in corners against the wall. I walked back to the living room, heading towards the left this time. A dining room table that was a wooden plank with white legs from each corner. Windows were also in the room, shades blocking the sunlight. I open them up, letting in the nice light, reflecting off the glass chandelier from above.
I walk down the hallway. There were no walls in between the rooms, but it was all fairly spaced out for a small room. I walked down till I was finally in a hallway. Two doors faced each other, a couple more steps would be a dead end.
I opened the first door to my right, a bathroom meeting my eyes. It was baby blue, a white clean sink to my left, a toilet right next to it. In front of me was a shower, glass covering the back wall. No privacy? Oh shut up, don't complain. I couldn't wait to get in there, but I still had one door left.
I left the bathroom opening the last door to see a clean bedroom. The bed was nicely made, light grey sheets covering it, along with white and other grey pillows. In front of it was a wooden polished dresser, four drawers with brass handles. A big mirror was in front of it. Enough for you to almost see down to my shins. A closet went to the back wall, clean clothes aligned. A set of jeans and a t shirt were folded on top of the bed, a note along with it.
Enjoy. :)
I take the note in my hands before putting it on the night stand with a lamp. I put my dirty bag along the wall, taking out the "new" bra I had. I doubt they would have one for me, but at least they gave me new underwear. I take the fresh new pairs of clothes and bring them into the bathroom with me.
I lock the door behind me, just in case. I haven't seen myself in a mirror in along time, but I knew I looked like shit. When my eyes met the reflection, I didn't even know it was me. A girl stood before, dirt smudges and blood stains all dried up on my face. My hair looked so brittle to the touch in my ponytail. But I still saw those green eyes. The eyes that still shined bright, staring back at me.
My clothes were stained with blood and dirt, making me cringe at the sight. My figure looked dirty against the whole room. Everything was clean, and spotless. But me, I was a walking dirt speck. I toke my shoes off, along with my socks.
Blisters and calluses covered my feet, for the sneakers were starting to wear away. I took my jeans off along with my shirt. Next came my underwear and bra. I looked in the mirror, the only thing that was clean was my necklace. I took it off, gently putting it on the sink. Here we go. I step in the shower, closing the door behind me.
My hands twisted the knob, water falling out. At first it was cold, the liquid hitting my body like icicles, but then it came out hot. I couldn't constain myself, laughing from the water coming down.
My eyes stared to blur for some reason, to notice now that I was crying. Tears of joy. My tears mixed in with the shower water, chuckles and laughs coming out of my mouth. I soon stopped, closing my eyes and letting the water run down my body.
I looked to the ground to see dirt and blood coming off from my body, going down into the drain. My eyes only watched, until I saw a bar of soap to the side. I instantly grabbed it, rubbing the soap along my dirty skin. I rubbed, my skin stinging from how hard I cleaned myself.
I then grabbed the shampoo, the smell lingering inside my nose. The smell was amazing, inhaling it even more. I rubbed my dirty brittle hair with the shampoo, making its silky and noticeable again. I put in the conditioner, leaving it in for a couple minutes to get it soft.
To my right I saw a razor. Wow, this is amazing. I grabbed the razor, shaving my arms, legs and under arms. I also shaved my other parts (everyone knows) and I finally felt smooth again, feeling nothing but bare skin. Even though I wanted to stay in longer, I decided to get out.
The warm water no longer hit my body, leaving me with a happy feeling. I got out the shower, grabbing the dark blue towel and drying myself off. I looked under the sink cabinet to see bottles of lotion.
I smiled, grabbing it. I put the lotion all over my body, my arms and legs even more smooth. I put the underwear on, along with my bra. I put the grey sweater on, along with wash light blue jeans. I went outside the bathroom, my hair dripping of water, droplets landing on the floor.
I went across to the bedroom, opening the drawers. I found pairs of socks, taking a dark grey pair and putting them on. I then went to the closet, to find a pair of black combat boots. I put them on, putting my hair on one side.
I went back into the bathroom, grabbing the elephant necklace and putting it around my neck. I slowly looked up, looking at my reflection. I'm clean. Everything about me seemed new. Before, I didn't know who I was. I was covered with just dirt and blood, unable to see who I really was. And that was the person staring back at me.
I lightly smile looking at myself, before heading out. I walked towards the door, about to head out, my hand hesitant of turning it. This is who you are. I grab the knob, going outside and closing the door behind me.
I take a deep breath of the fresh air, one person walking along and waving. I smile, waving back. This is gonna be good. You found it. You found something. I walk down the stairs, heading over to Ricks place.
***
Enjoy this chapter guys, leave comments if I made a mistake and if you liked it please don't forget to vote, thanks!